


The Infinite Benefits of Open-Mindedness

by FemailoftheSpecies



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-27
Updated: 2013-07-27
Packaged: 2017-12-21 12:56:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/900576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FemailoftheSpecies/pseuds/FemailoftheSpecies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Lover’s Walk Spike wants something else.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Infinite Benefits of Open-Mindedness

**Author's Note:**

> This is the prologue to Undeniable Dilemma

The constant drip of Demerol kept her groggy at best. He knew that she hadn't truly noticed that he was there…over her bed, watching her fade in and out of sleep. For her it seemed something like a dream.

Or nightmare.

Spike smiled at the nurse as she passed by, glancing at him cheerfully. In her mind, he was the dutiful boyfriend keeping a nightly vigil over his injured love. He had been candid with the woman, explaining how her parents did not approved of him because he was _working_ his way through college. She was, therefore, very cooperative, allowing him to slip in past visiting hours and stay until near sunrise, as well as discrete, never mentioning his visits to the Chase’s when they came every evening to see their daughter. She gave him a small wave and disappeared from his view, taking her tempting heartbeat with her. The smile disintegrated eerily once it was not needed and the cold mask of indifference, deceiving if one considered his actual thoughts, carefully resumed its position. Later, when he no longer needed her assistance, he would thank the woman properly.

Shifting in his chair, he moved closer to the human sleeping before him. He regarded her fastidiously. She was a stunningly attractive girl; her bone structure and sleek form were superb. He saw that now, but chided himself for overlooking her since coming to Sunnydale. Killing the slayer and curing Drusilla had been first and foremost on his agenda the year before.

Now he was a little more open-minded.

She stirred, the pain beginning to awaken her. And he leaned over to place a soft kiss on her warm forehead before leaving. It would be dawn soon.

 

~~~*~~~

 

The hotel was nothing close to luxurious, but it met his needs adequately. The draperies were heavy and thick, a sufficient barrier between him and the bright and beautiful enemy. Restless, he woke quickly. The day was still quite young, but he could not sleep anymore. Scooting up until he sat with his back against the headboard, he lit a cigarette and settled in to consider his options.

No one knew he was in town. They all thought he was on his way to Brazil to find his beloved Princess. He'd had every intention of doing just that, but was understandably detoured. He did leave and made it nearly twenty miles outside of town before turning around to get the girl.

It had been a different girl at the time. One with brilliant red hair, huge green eyes and the sweet, delightful scent of a virgin. Of course, they were gone, rescued from the factory, perhaps by his ponce of a sire and his bitch in heat. He did not know for sure and did not care as he followed the little witch’s scent. To his surprise he discovered an amusing drama unfolding. 

And Cordelia.

For three nights he had been waiting, patiently, and it was wearing him down. He was tired of this town and being furtive. Tonight he would hunt until late, being sure to remain unseen by those who would love to betray him to the mayor, and then go collect the dark-haired beauty.

 

~~~*~~~

 

They had been giving her less and less of the pain killer as the day went by so that by late that night she was feeling nearly coherent. Xander had been by earlier. Remebering, her face crumbled as she began to cry again, hot, silent tears sliding along her cheeks.

A noise in the room startled her and she flinched, wincing a little, as he took form as if from shadow.

She gasped loud and instinctively reached for the ‘call nurse’ button, but his was faster, gripping her hand tightly.

“Spike…” she panted, her eyes wide, doe-like.

“Cordelia,” he greeted her casually. “You’re looking better. How do you feel?”

She frowned, biting her bottom lip as her eyes darted to the closed door. She managed to answer, somehow understanding that keeping up her end of the conversation was important. “Better. I heard you were gone.”

He smiled sheepishly like he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Yeah, I was gone. Came back for something, though.” 

The hairs on the back of her neck rose and she lunged for the phone, failing and crying out in pain as she tore a stitch.

He sighed and gazed at her with warmth and compassion. He was a consummate actor. “Don’t you want them to pay, pet? For hurting you?”

“Them to pay?” The thought had crossed her mind…every coherent moment, but coming from him the idea was ludicrous. “What about you? You kidnapped them. Got them in the horny, impending-death situation.”

He laughed at that. “Oh, you are _cute_ when you’re stupid. Those two were all over each other long before I came along.” She shook her head, clearly not wanting to accept this, but he pressed on. “I could smell it, luv. Surprised her bloody wolf didn’t notice it.” He sat down, confident that she would not attempt anything else for a while.

“No. They were just...”

“The _witch_ was casting a de-lusting spell when I took them. Saw the little pixie bin the magic shop when she went to get the ingredients. That’s why I thought she could help me.” He wagged his index finger at her knowingly.

“And she still can,” she offered. There was no love lost between her and Willow Rosenberg at the moment. “Do you need her address? A cab?” Cordelia inquired helpfully. She wanted him gone.

His smile was indulgent. It was an omen. He would be wearing it many times in his future. “No...I’ve found what I want.”

She glanced around, willing herself not to cry and her jaw set in that way it did when she was resigned. Asking the question was dumb, she knew that, but she would not play cat and mouse with the vampire. He was here for a reason. Nothing Spike did was random.

“And what do you want?”

There was that smile again, as if he were dealing with a child.

His fangs were in her before she saw him coming; any noise she might have made was muffled by a powerful hand clamped over her mouth. Her struggling was hampered by her injury, making it all too quick for his liking. Soon enthralled by the dying, she gave up the fight, weakened as her blood was drained from her body.

He pulled away when she was close to death, a look of maniacal glee on his face as he sliced into his wrist and fed her his blood, his demon. She would know only darkness soon. His world was beautiful, cold and brutal, something to share.

And together they make would make them all pay.


End file.
